23+ Sample Homeschool Schedules

What Are Homeschool Schedules?

A homeschool schedule refers to the organized list of dates and activities for students who are taking homeschool. It is basically a visual schedule of the many days of the week and what subjects to teach per period. And this schedule often works in two ways: (1) the parent or homeschool teacher will prepare the schedule to be guided on how to teach their students, or (2) the student himself/herself will make the schedule to not lose track of what to expect in homeschooling daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

It has been reported that in 2016, 1.69 million students took a homeschool in America alone.

Why Is a Homeschool Schedule Important?

A lot of people assume that homeschooling is easier because you can just stay at home, get a break whenever you want, and other privileges not met in school. However, that is part of the challenge on how students should be engaged to learn and be responsible towards homeschooling. And a homeschool schedule is just the right recipe to ensure both homeschool teachers and students have a routine on what to do at the start of the day down to the afternoon, how to divide time wisely, and how to ensure that students effectively learn from the expected subjects to cover from the school curriculum.

Moreover, homeschool schedules are there to remind you in case you forget what subjects should be taken at a certain time and what other activities are left per day. It is more than just reminding you about the date and time because the underlying subjects per hour or period are useful references as well. Also, a homeschool schedule is applicable to all homeschool students of any level, may it be to someone from preschool, middle school, or high school. And the rest of the family at home can join and help set the schedule to work on a smart and collaborative learning experience.

The Basic Components of a Homeschool Schedule

While it is clear what a homeschool schedule means and why it is important, are you familiar with what a simple homeschool schedule looks like in the first place? There is no single format for a homeschool schedule but there are common elements usually seen from them. And the components in a typical homeschool schedule usually consists of the following:

Name of Student: Homeschool schedules typically ask for the student’s details. This goes from the student’s name, address, and contact numbers. And the correct student information should be written to make it clear who is being taught in the first place.Level of Education: Another concern is what level of education the student is currently at. This part labels if the pupil belongs to 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and so forth. The point is you remain specific because it would be wrong to assume that a child is in 4th grade yet you ended up teaching him/her from the syllabus meant for 6th graders.Teacher’s Details: Besides the name of the student, do not forget to recognize the homeschool teacher’s information as well. Same as before, you write the name, address, etc. Whether the teacher is a parent, relative, or a licensed homeschool teacher, state the relationship as well.List of Subjects: Homeschool schedules naturally have a list of subjects from the first period down to the last period of the day. Expect to include subjects such as Math, Science, English, History, Arts, and so forth. But, do not just decide randomly on what subjects to pursue. That is because you have a homeschool syllabus to follow too.Schedule of Subjects: You won’t just list the subjects of what to do first until last because there is a schedule to follow. And this is the important part of a homeschool schedule because you will divide the 24 hours or 1,440 minutes per day that fits the homeschooling process wisely. An example is to assign 40 minutes for Science or any other subject required. Also, scheduling must be specific so you have to write the time like 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM is assigned for Math.Schedule in General: Homeschool schedules have other duties and activities to include besides the subjects. Since students are at home, the schedule would include what time to wake up, what time to eat snacks, when to take a bath, and so forth. Consider it as an effective daily schedule too. Or perhaps, you format it according to the weekly or monthly calendar.Tables and Charts: Homeschool schedules would not be complete without the designated tables, charts, and graphs. You basically present the data in a tabular format like having a set of columns for the days of the week, a set of rows for the different hours or periods of the week, and individual boxes for every subject to teach in homeschool. And its format depends on what is more convenient or effective for you.Notes: Another concern is to implement an extra section specifically for notes. That serves as the space for additional information like when you need to list homeschool supplies, student feedback, observations, and more. Make use of that space if there is anything needed to add to the schedule.

How to Create an Effective Homeschool Schedule

Instead of getting overwhelmed with the tasks at hand towards homeschooling, welcome it with gratitude. You can certainly ace your homeschool schedule, especially after learning from the various subtopics above. And now for the meat of the article, are you ready to make your own homeschool schedule? Rest assured, you will find the process easy by following these significant steps:

Step 1: Study the School Curriculum

You cannot just make a random choice of subjects and topics to teach in homeschooling. The key is to review the school curriculum first. Be sure that the curriculum fits the education level of the student to keep it relevant. And as you study the curriculum, you will slowly familiarize the number of subjects and what topics to cover for the whole week, month, summer, or semester. Also, this is a good opportunity to make study plans aside from the scheduling process. Thus, make the most out of the curriculum’s data.

Step 2: Make a Draft of the List of Subjects

Next, create a draft of the whole subject list. This is greatly needed for students taking lots of subjects for the school year because it gets harder to keep track of sometimes. If the concern was a toddler schedule, then the list would be easy since it would mostly consist of playtime. Nonetheless, you have to list down the subjects given in the curriculum so you will know what to input in your homeschool schedule later on. A tip is to make a checklist as your guide if you made sure each subject has been added to your schedule or not yet.

Step 3: Assign a Specific Period to Each Subject

Now that you have enlisted the subjects or topics to cover for the homeschool, proceed to assign the time needed for every subject. Think about the student’s time to usually wake up and learn to adjust about when to start in order to balance time wisely. Sometimes, the subjects to cover on Monday will not be the same on Tuesday. Hence, settle those differences and observe time management. In fact, you can always adjust later on if the initial schedule somehow became challenging for the student. And after tons of adjustments, you will eventually find the best routine for the student to work with.

Step 4: Download a Sample Homeschool Schedule

From the draft you created from the subject list and the assignment of time to every subject, expect to use that document for your reference in making a homeschool schedule. To start, download from any of the sample homeschool schedules above this article. And with each fillable template, you can insert the details you wrote from the draft earlier. The best part is each sample template is customizable and even printable. Explore its editable features until you can come up with the homeschool schedule shortly.

Step 5: Complete the Homeschool Schedule’s Components

Of course, you cannot forget about completing the homeschool schedule’s components, which were discussed earlier. Your document may seem incomplete without writing the student’s name, teacher’s details, tables/charts, and so much more. And do not ignore how organized/disorganized your schedule is. Hard-to-follow homeschool schedules only make your experience much harder. The labels should be properly distributed. No subject and time should be left wasted. And most importantly, the whole plan must be doable or it will only be a good plan with poor execution.

Step 6: Keep Your Schedule Flexible

Flexibility is key. Maybe there are times the homeschool teacher gets busy, the student has another important appointment, or any other consideration. Thus, learning to adjust the time is important. If one subject has been missed in a day, then you find a way to insert it the next day or any day of the week to adjust accordingly. Hence, it is not the end of the world if things don’t go always as planned. Instead, adjust flexibly and you will ace homeschooling for sure.

FAQs

What are some tips to maintain a good homeschool schedule?

Here are some ideas of how to maintain a great homeschool schedule:

  • Divide larger tasks in each subject into smaller doable tasks.
  • Set a routine to remember the whole schedule easier.
  • Assign the rest of the family to help in managing the schedule.
  • Learn to segregate subjects into priority levels.
  • Avoid doing all the subjects in one day; divide it evenly in a weekly calendar.

Who should homeschool a student?

Although homeschooling is legalized in many states, there is a difference in the regulations made towards homeschooling too. The expected answer is to have a licensed homeschool teacher. But it can also be a relative, older sibling, or someone in the family who receives compensation in doing so.

What are some of the homeschool supplies must-haves?

Homeschoolers would likely use the following supplies: pencils, pens, papers, notebooks, colors, markers, glue, folders, whiteboard/blackboard, and more. Be sure to prepare a supply list on what to prepare for homeschooling so you won’t miss a thing.

Always keep in mind that there is no specific formula on what fits best to every homeschooler’s schedule. In fact, the subjects taken, learning abilities, and considerations per student will vary. And the same can be said about homeschool schedules. So be sure to plot wisely on how to conduct an effective homeschooling process for students that still follow the school curriculum. And the best part is you won’t be concerned about creating homeschool schedules from scratch anymore—thanks to sample homeschool schedules. Draft a schedule now!